Bank-protection structure



as 1924. I 1,493,976

W. H. FRIEDRICH v BANK PROTECTION STRUCTURE Filed llay l 1922 PI! l mu ethane J.

Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. FRIEDRICH, 01F DYER, INDIANA.

BANK-PROTECTION STRUCTURE.

Application filed May 1,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM H. FRIED- R1011, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dyer, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bank-Protection Structures, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to building structures, and more particularly a structure of the bank protective type. The structure has been designed for small banks to protect the same from hold-ups, and it consists in a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be bette understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which: I

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a fragment of the building, and Fig. 2 is asection on the line 22 of Fig. l.

Referring specifically to the drawing 5 denotes a room on the ground floor of a building. This room is occupied by a banking establishment and it contains the usual fixtures of such an establishment. As shown in the drawing, the room contains a cage or compartment 7 for the teller and other officers of the bank, together with a counter 8 for the patrons. Inside the compartment 7 is a counter 9 for the teller and other bank officials.

Directly above the banking room 5, and isolated therefrom, is a vault room 10 in which the money and other valuables are kept. For the purpose of transferring the money, etc., from the room lO-to the room 5 during the business hours of the bank, and for transferring the same back to the room '10, a small elevator 11v similar to a dumbwaiter has been provided, the same traveling in a shaft 12 extending between the two rooms. The elevator shaft 12 terminates at the bottom at the tellers counter 9 so that the teller may have access to the elevator 11 without leaving his station.

By the structure hereinbefore described, it is not necessary to keep a supply of money on the tellers counter 9, the money, as needed, being supplied from the room 10 above by means of the elevator 11. It will be understood, that the teller will communicate to the attendant in the room 10 above the amount of money required, and this attendant then places the money in the 1922. Serial No. 557,788.

firing at robbers in the room 5. For the protection of the occupant of 10, the lights 13 may be of bullet proof glass.

A one-manelevator 16 also establishes communication between the rooms 5 and 10. The door opening from the elevator shaft 17 into the room 10 is shown at 18. The door opening from the elevator shaft into the room 5 will be kept locked to prevent unauthorized persons going from said room to the room 10 above. The door 18 can also be kept locked and under the control of the occupant of the room 10, so that he may refuse to open the same if a demand'is made by an unauthorized person.

Communication between the rooms 5 and 10 may also be had by providing the enclosed stairway shown. dotted at 19 in Fig. 2, the same having top and bottom doors arranged in the same manner as the elevator doors. lVith elevators of the type suggested as a standard product and easily installed, it will be understood that preference will be given to them over stairways, due to the saving of space and time occasioned.

The advantages of the novel arrangement above described should be readily apparent. First, the bulk of money in bills and coin is concealed from the view of those approaching the cage 7, so that an immediate object is not presented to foster covetousness in unprincipled minds. Further, in the event of an attempted robbery, failure to find the bulk of funds on the bank floor will relieve the officers or clerks in charge of responsibility, as well as of threats of physical attack or violence usually resorted to in such instances. The hazard of bodily injury or loss of life will be greatly minimized as the intruders realize the helplessness of the offieers and clerks to produce the banks funds. While the intruders are in action, they will of course be under the observation of the occupant of the vault room above, and in danger of being attacked by gun fire. In any event, the funds of the bank are mains tainediu a remoteand ordinarily impressible place, which in lending safety :to the same, should make for a substantial reduc-,

attempt at robbery. v It being evidentsthat surprise or hold-up robberies ofrbanks are usually prearrangedand \vell calculated, it is probable that a study of the operation and layout of the bank WOHlCl'bG made in advance; and -the plotters finding that the bank funds are not readily available, and that the danger ofcapture or bodily injury is greatly increased, the plan would in all probabilities fnotbe put into action, making theinstitution moreor less immune to robbery.

\Vhile the-vault room 'has'been shown with a Window facing thestreet. it should beunderstood that Where-suchiafrontage amounts to ,an exposure, suitable measures will be taken to provide such means to protect the room as will make 'for the highest degree of safety.

In summarizing, it will be seen that the upper vroom 10 extends over the customers compartment 5 as 'WQll as the attendants compartment behindithepartition 7. 'Therelfore, an attendant in the upper room 10 is not only able to co-operate with the attendant below in handling money, but is also able to makeobservations by Way of the sight opening 13 and to insert a gun through theportslain an emergency. By providing means whereby one attendant in the upper room 10 may conveniently perform these three duties the cost of service andprotection of the banks funds andemployees is maintained comparatively low.

'I claim:

"In a banking house, the combinationwith a lower room having a partition defining customers and attendants compartments, of an upper room arranged directly over the customers and attendants compartments and having a floor, a money conveying. elevator movable betweenthe attendants compartment and said room, a shaft receiving the elevator, the floorof the upper room being provided directly above said customefis compartment with observation means and with openings for th passage of guns whereby a single attendant in the upper room may co-operate With the attendantan the attendants compartment and may also observe and cover With firearms thosein the customers compartment below.

IntestimonywhereofI afiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. FRIEDRICH. 

